4/02/2008

Oklahoma State Senate Kills Bill Letting Some Carry Concealed Handguns on College Campuses

A procedural move Monday killed a bill that would have allowed military veterans and others with firearms training to carry concealed weapons on campus.

The Senate Appropriations Committee was scheduled to hear House Bill 2513 on Wednesday, but the measure, which received nearly two-thirds support earlier this month in the House of Representatives, was not listed Monday on the agenda. Thursday is the deadline for bills to be passed out of Senate committees.

"The bottom line is it's dead,” said Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, co-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"Both of us decided we didn't want to hear it,” said Sen. Mike Johnson, R-Kingfisher, the other committee co-chairman.

President Pro Tempore Mike Morgan said legislators want to be sensitive of Oklahomans' Second Amendment rights, but "we've got to be practical.” . . . .

The bill was largely killed by former Senator and current president of the University of Oklahoma David Boren.

Fourteen presidents, several students and representatives of some campus police departments met Monday at the state Capitol to voice concerns about HB 2513, which they said would make campuses more dangerous."Please, please, please put the safety of our students first,” said University of Oklahoma President David Boren.

He said in his 41 years of public service, he's never seen legislation "that would bring with it more unintended consequences that can lead to tragedy.”